Am I My Brother’s Keeper?

Readings for today: Obadiah 1, Psalms 82-83

It’s one of the oldest deflections in the Book. Am I my brother’s keeper? Those words were first uttered by Cain when he was confronted by God over the murder of his brother Abel. Sarcastic. Dismissive. Heartbreaking. They reveal how far humanity had fallen even in those early years. We see such brotherly feuds throughout the Old Testament. Cain and Abel gives way to Isaac and Ishmael who in turn give way to Jacob and Esau who in turn give way to Joseph and his brothers. Sadly, what begins as sibling rivalry ends in tribal warfare. Enmity lasting generations.

Obadiah is a short little book. Barely makes a blip on the radar screen. And yet, the prophet declares God’s judgment over Edom. Edom, for those keeping score at home, is the tribal nation founded by Esau. They are his descendants and essentially cousins to Israel. As such, one would expect them to defend and support their family over and against the nations that came against them. Though it has been centuries since Jacob and Esau reconciled and then went their separate ways, God has not forgotten their family ties. Tragically, Edom abandons their filial responsibilities and instead joins Israel’s enemies. They take advantage of the chaos to press their own advantage and thereby fall under God’s judgment.

“Because of the violence done to your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, and you shall be cut off forever. On the day that you stood aloof, on the day that strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them. But do not gloat over the day of your brother in the day of his misfortune; do not rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their ruin; do not boast in the day of distress. Do not enter the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; do not gloat over his disaster in the day of his calamity; do not loot his wealth in the day of his calamity. Do not stand at the crossroads to cut off his fugitives; do not hand over his survivors in the day of distress.” ‭‭(Obadiah‬ ‭1:10-14‬)

I cannot help but think of the current state of our nation. Brother is divided against brother. Sister against sister. Republican against Democrat. Black vs. white vs. brown. Rich vs. poor. Hetero vs. LGBTQ. Identity politics is literally killing us. No longer tolerant of difference, we consider those who oppose us to be evil. Beyond redemption. Worthy only of scorn. We pursue scorched-earth political policy where the goal is to deny the other side any semblance of victory. The results are tragic. Our nation continues to descend into chaos. Truth is sacrificed on the altar of power. Compassion is long forgotten. Grace and forgiveness are no longer part of our national vocabulary. We are fools if we think we can escape the judgment of God.

Am I my brother’s keeper? Am I my sister’s keeper? When fellow Americans tell story after story of injustice, how do I respond? When law enforcement officers put their lives on the line over and over again, how do I treat them? When I meet those of a different political persuasion, how do I react? Am I truly advocating and working towards a more perfect union? Or am I seeking to gain the upper hand over my so-called enemies? How willing am I to utilize the tools of oppression to achieve my own personal political ends? These are critical questions for Christians as head into the fall and what promises to be an absolutely brutal, no holds barred election season. How will we answer God’s ancient question? Will we be our brother or sister’s keeper regardless of their ethnicity, socio-economic status, or political party? Will we truly be one nation under God?

Readings for tomorrow: Jeremiah 45-48